Curry is known around the world

December 02, 2009|By Colleen Sen, Special to Tribune Newspapers and Colleen Taylor Sen is a freelance writer in Chicago and the author of "Curry" (Reaktion Books).

Curry is the global dish par excellence. For thousands of years, traders, travelers and immigrants have transported curries and the spices used in their preparation to every part of the globe.

The full range of the curry experience can be found at local restaurants and supermarkets: British pub curries; the exuberant curry dishes of the Caribbean; kari/raisu, Japan's favorite comfort food; the aromatic gaengs of Thailand; Indonesian rendang; and the spicy dishes of the Indian subcontinent.

Although the word curry is associated with Indian food, it is rarely used by Indians, who call dishes by their specific names.

"Curry is a very popular word among Westerners, who often think there is a particular dish or spice called curry," said Qudrat Sayed, owner of Bhabi's Kitchen, 6352 N. Oakley St., which, like most Indian restaurants in the United States, does not feature the word "curries" on its menu.

When customers ask for curry, Sayed recommends they try qorma, pieces of lamb slow-cooked in an aromatic yogurt sauce, or butter chicken with a creamy tomato-flavored gravy.

The British borrowed the word "curry" in the 17th century from a local Indian word meaning a soupy liquid poured over rice, and applied it to any spiced Indian dish with a sauce.

In traditional Indian cooking, spices are ground to order for every dish. Commercial curry powders were invented in 18th century England for officials and army officers returning from India.

The key ingredient in curry powders is turmeric, which imparts the characteristic yellow color. Other standard components are cumin, coriander and fenugreek seeds and sometimes ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom and chilies. Madras curry powder, which is much hotter, contains chilies and fragrant curry leaves.

In the 20th century, Indian food became enormously popular in the British Isles. Curry is the most popular takeout meal, surpassing even fish and chips, and in 2001 chicken tikka masala (a dish similar to butter chicken) was proclaimed the British national dish.

Chicago pubs such as the Elephant and Castle and The Kerryman carry on this tradition by serving lamb and chicken curries with their ales.

In the 19th century, curries were taken to the farthest outposts of the British Empire by millions of immigrants from India who worked on plantations in Trinidad, Jamaica, Malaysia, Guyana, Malaysia and South Africa. They developed delicious fusion cuisines that combine local ingredients with Indian techniques.

In Jamaica, for example, curry powders may be supplemented with thyme and allspice.

"Our curry powders are blended so that no single taste is overpowering," said chef Paulette Waite of Jamaica Jerk, 1631 W. Howard St., which specializes in curried chicken and curried goat -- the centerpiece of every Jamaican festivity.

British residents of Yokohama introduced curry to Japan in 1868, and it soon became one of the nation's most popular comfort foods, especially in cold weather. A Japanese curry has chunks of meat, carrots, onions and potatoes simmered in an ocher-colored, curry-powder-flavored, slightly sweet sauce. The sauce is made from mixes or blocks of curry roux that range from mild to hot. Mitsuwa Market, 100 E. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, offers a wide selection of such curry mixes.. Curries came to South East Asia by a different route. In the third century B.C., Indian traders and Buddhist missionaries brought Indian spices and dishes to Thailand. The Thais added aromatic leaves and herbs.

"At home in Thailand I make everything by hand, but here I recommend curry paste, because even if the spices and herbs are available, they taste different than in Thailand," said Sue Junya, consulting chef for Uni-Mart stores' new line of Thai food products.

In the eighth century, Arab spice traders took Indian spices and dishes to Indonesia and Malaysia. A classic Indonesian curry is a flavorful rendang, made by slowly simmering pieces of beef in coconut milk and spices.

Resembling an Indian qorma, it probably arose from the need to preserve the meat from a newly killed water buffalo in the absence of refrigeration. You can try a delicious rendang at Chicago's only Indonesian restaurant, Angin Mamiri, 2739 W. Touhy Ave.